Depositing apparatus

ABSTRACT

The depositing apparatus described provides an arrangement wherein a hopper is positioned to direct a flow of material into a multiple number of individual streams. A rotating drum having a series of Y-shaped bores revolvable about an axis is positioned for individually communicating with a stream of said material in a first position, and successively depositing the material accumulated in each of said bores in another position. The arrangement includes means for controlling the movement of said drum and for insuring the measured amounts of the material are deposited after each filling of the bores in said drum with said material.

[ Sept. 11, 1973 1 DEPOSITING APPARATUS [75] Inventors: William H.Dugger; Wayne K.

Alexander, both of Kansas City, Mo.

[73 1 Assignees International Telephone and Telegraph Corporation,Nutley, NJ.

[22] Filed: Aug. 31, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 176,459

Pechmann 141/244 X 3,360,020 12/1967 Aronson 141/242 X 3,665,980 5/1972Croslin.... 141/183 3,683,977 8/1972 Crowe 141/183 X PrimaryExaminer-Wayne A. Mlorse, .lr. Attorney-C. Cornell Remsen, Jr. et a1.

[57] ABSTRACT The depositing apparatus described provides an arrangementwherein a hopper is positioned to direct a flow of material into amultiple number of individual streams. A rotating drum having a seriesof Y-shaped bores revolvable about an axis is positioned forindividually communicating with a stream of said material in a firstposition, and successively depositingthe material accumulated in each ofsaid bores in another position. The arrangement includes means forcontrolling the movement of said drum and for insuring the measuredamounts of the material are deposited after each filling of the bores insaid drum with said material.

10 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTED SEN 1 I973 SHEET 2 0F 4 TO VX21351 a 5 AIR SOURCE n TANK INVENTORS WILLIAM H DUGCER BY WAYNEJK. A EXANDERATTORNEY Pmmmstn 1 ma SHEET 3 OF 4 INVENTORS WILLIAM H. ouqqen WAYNE K.Ausfilvosn DRNEY BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In general, the inventionrelates to material depositing apparatus, and more particularly to acrumb dispensing apparatus for streusel type cake products.

It is a well known problem in the baking industry to handle and producestreusel type cake or cupcake products. One considerable difficulty isencountered in trying to deposit measured amounts of the streusel in auniform and accurate manner on the cake products. For example, if thedeposited amount is not accurately measured and properly dispensed, theresulting product, after baking, is uneven, unappealing, and results inconsiderable waste during the on-line processing. Another of theproblems, in depositing the streusel type material, is due to thecomposition of the mixture itself. A typical type mixture utilized inproducing a streusel type cake product compri'ses approximately a 20percent shortening, a 25 percent granulated and brown sugar, a 42percent flour, and a l percent combination of almond paste, honey,cinnamon and salt. As should be readily understood by one skilled in thebakery art this mixture, if not properly handled and dispensed, willcause considerable clogging and gumming of any dispensing equipment, soas to make high speed production with minimal waste of the ingredientsvirtually impossible.

These and other problems were overcome by the apparatus according to theinvention. The apparatus efficiently handles the streusel type materialto control the depositing, and insures that equal amounts are depositedon the cake products in a high speed uniform manner as hereinafterdescribed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the inventiontoprovide an improved depositing apparatus. H

Another object of the invention is to provide depositing apparatuscapable of handling streusel type cake materials in a controlled manner.

According to the broadest aspects of the invention there is provideddepositing apparatus including material dispensing means, a rotatablecross bored drum positioned to receive material from said dispensingmeans in a first position, and means coupled to said drum to cause saidmaterial to be deposited in a controlled manner when said drum is in asecond position.

A feature of the invention is to provide depositing apparatus useful inproducing streusel cupcake type products comprising a housing having anentrance port coupled to a source of material and an exit portpositioned to discharge said material in a number of controlleddeposits, a drum mounted coaxially in said housing for rotatablemovement, said drum having a series of Y- shaped bores, means forintermittently rotating said drum so that each branch in each Y-shapedbore of said series communicates first with said entrance port to befilled and then with said exit port for dispensing said material, andmeans are coupled to assist the filling and dispensing of said material.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The above objects and features of theinvention will be better understood if reference is made to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a front view of the apparatus according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the apparatus according to the invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates the position of the cross bored drum in a fillingposition;

FIG. 4 is a drawing showing the cross bored drum in a depositingposition; and

FIG. 5 illustrates the means of controlling and timing the operation ofthe apparatus according to the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to FIGS. 1and 2, the general concept and design of the apparatus according to theinvention will be described. A frame 11 is positioned to mount theapparatus over cupcakepans 12 which are moving on a conveyor belt 13.Each pan 12 comprises a series of 12 cups, 12,, through 12 across itslength and three rows of cups 12a,b,c.

An upper storage hopper 14 is mounted on the frame and equipped with aseries of power driven agitator fingers Man and MM to continuously breakup the source material to prevent packing. A variable applicator driveunit 15, more particularly described in connection with FIG. 5, drivesthe agitators by means of coupling shafts 14c and 14d. The variabledrive for these agitators is coupled from the applicator reel drive asillustrated in FIG. 5. The material to be deposited which is placed inthe upper storage hopper 14 is broken up into varying size lumps by theagitator fingers and forced into the lower applicator hopper 16. Thehopper 16 is equipped with an eight-blade applicator reel 16a mountedand driven by shaft 16b from applicator drive unit 15. The applicatorreel 16a in, the lower hopper 16 wedges the material through aperforated screen 16c from where it falls directly into the dis chargemanifold 17 mountedin thev frame 11 below hopper 16. The perforatedscreens are removable and fixed to the lower hopper by means16d, so thatit may be cleaned and different screens with varying size holes may beused depending on the product.

The discharge manifold 17 directs the waterfall flow of the materialcoming from the lower hopper into the top of the multiple number ofindividual tubes 18 through 18 there being one tube for each of the cupsin pan 12. The feed'tubes are coupled by collars 19 to drum housing 20.Rotatably mounted within the drum' positioned Y-shaped cross bored holes22.'In a first position the cross bored holes are first filled by theflow of the material from the manifold 17, and in another positiondeposit the material through the discharge nozzles 23 which arepositioned above the cups in pan l2. Rotatably mounted with the crossbored drum shaft 21a is a first rotating actuating cam 24 which actuatesvalve number 1 to control the air pressure from the air tank source 25to the air connecting tube means 26 and 27 mounted on the drum housing.In a similar manner, another control cam 28 controls the actuation ofvalve number 2 which controls the air pressure from source 25 into eachone of the air tubes 29a through 291. The tubes are coupled from valvenumber 2 to the multiple number of individual feed tubes 18.

FIG. 3 illustrates the filling position of the cross bored drum 21 whichis rotatai'il y mounted within drum housing 20. Drum housing has anentrance port 20a and an exit port 20b. During the filling of theY-shaped cross bored holes 22 the material drops through the entranceport and completely fills the Y-shaped cavity 22, the material fillingbeing assisted by air pressure which is coupled by tubes 29 from airvalve number 2 as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. The drum housing 20includes air connecting tube means 26 and 27, the entrance of which isblocked during filling of the bore by the solid portions of drum 21.

FIG. 4 illustrates the position of the rotatable drum during depositingof the material from exit port 20b. It will be observed that during thedepositing sequence the entrance port 20a is blocked by the solidportion of the cross bored drum 21, and the air connecting tube means 26and 27 are cleared to permit the air assisted flow of the materialaccumulated within cavity 22 to be deposited. The air assist insures thecomplete removal of the volume of material accumulated, to insurecontrolled depositing of the material into the cups in pan 12.

Referring now to FIG. 5, the control and timing means for the operationof the apparatus discussed above is illustrated. The entire mechanism isactivated, stop or start, by switch means 30 which is activated orcloses a circuit to power source 31. The pan 12, as it passes underneaththe individual discharge nozzles 23, is timed to cause the energizationof the slip-type disc clutch 32 and 33 to enable the speed-controlledmotors 34 and 35 to respectively drive shafts 21a and 16b, and viacoupling means 36 shafts 14c and 14d. The motors are individually gearadjustable in a manner well known in the art. The timing of the air fromvalve number 1 and number 2 is controlled by the rotating cams 24 and28. Cam 24 is in the shape of a flat disc having three protrudingactuating portions 23a, 23b and 230 which are spaced 120 apart andintermittently act on valve number 1. When cam portion 23a, 23b or 230activates valve number 1, air from air source tank is caused to becoupled by the out air coupling tube of the valve to each of the airconnecting tube means 26, through 26, and 27, through 27 During thistime the position of the cross bored drum 21 is as illustrated in FIG.4.

Camming disc 28 also has three protruding cam activating portions 28a,28b and28c which are spaced 120 apart, but out of phase with theprotruding portions of disc 24 by 60. After portion-23a of disc 23leaves its actuating position of valve number 1, then valve number 1shuts off the air supply, and then valve 28a comes into position toactuate valve number 2 and causes the air from source 25 to be coupledby lines 29 to the feed tubes to assist in again filling the Y-shapedcross bored holes 22. At this time the cross bored drum is in theposition illustrated in FIG. 3. When cam 23a was in the activatingposition, the material was deposited intocups 12a, and during the travelof the pan from the position of cups 12a to 12b, the valve number 2 wasactivated by portion 28a so that when cup 12b is in the position to befilled, cam portion 23b activates valve numher i and a complete depositof the material is made into cups 12b. This cycle repeats itself threetimes for each pan 12 so that equal and controlled deposits are madeinto each row of 12 cups. It is of course understood, that during thistime the agitator hopper 14 and the applicator hopper 16 are rotating ata predetermined speed to insure a proper flow of material into manifold17.

Each pan causes the following sequential operations: turning on ofsystem, filling the Y-shaped bores with an air assist, depositing in arow of cups with an air assist, repeating the filling and dropping twomore times, and turning off of the system.

Reviewing the overall operation of the system in connection with theabove, the objects and features should now be apparent as well asalternative embodiments to those skilled in the art. The material to beapplied is placed in the upper storage hopper with agitator fingersbreak up the material in varying size lumps which are forced into thelower applicator hopper. The applicator reel in the lower hopper wedgesthe material through a perforated screen where it falls into thedischarge manifold directly below. The manifold directs the waterfallflow coming from the applicator housing into the top of multiple spoutsin the drum housing. The material is directed and air assisted intoindividual ones of the Y-shaped cross bored holes. Cam control means arecoupled to the drum to control depositing into the cups of the panswhich are continuously traveling underneath the discharge nozzlespositioned at the bottom of the drum housing. The entire mechanism isactivated, start or stop, by a switch means which is tripped as eachindividual pan frame passes underneath the nozzles. The speed of thereel applicator is variable and controls the amount ofmaterial depositedin the individual cups on each cycle, and the cross bored drum drive isvariable and synchronizes the deposit from each Y-shaped bored hole intothe cups of the pan without overflow to the sides between the multiplecups in each row of the pan. In order to compensate for variations inspacing between pans as they move along under this device on theconveyor, a slip-type disc clutch and locking cam are used for thepurpose of indexing each series of three rows of cups in one pan frame.This also obviously eliminates any progressive error in depositingdirectly into every cup without overflow.

Although I have described above the depositing apparatus in connectionwith specific embodiments and examples, it is to be clearly understoodthat this description is given by way of example only and is not to beconsidered as a limitation on the scope of the inven tion as defined bythe objects and features thereof and in the accompanying claims.

We claim:

1. Apparatus for handling and depositing streusel type materialcomprising:

a storage hopper and applicator for handling and directing the flow ofthe material;

a discharge manifold having dividers todirect the flow of the materialinto a multiple number of individual streams;

a housing with upper connectors to said manifold and lower nozzle spoutspositioned above the depositing position;

a drum mounted coaxially in said housing and having a series of Y-shapedborings revolving about an axis, said borings successively communicatingfirst with said upper connectors and then with said lower nozzles;

means to assist the filling and depositing of said material in acontrolled manner;

said material is placed in an upper storage hopper having agitatorfingers to break up said material into varying size lumps which areforced into a lower applicator hopper; and

means to activate and deactivate said system as an individual pan framepasses the depositing position.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 including means for varying thespeed of the applicator reel so that the amount of material deposited inindividual cups of a pan frame is controlled.

3. Apparatus for handling and depositing streusel type materialcomprising:

a storage hopper and applicator for handling and directing the flow ofthe material;

a discharge manifold having dividers to direct the flow of the materialinto a multiple number of individual streams;

a housing with upper connectors to said manifold and lower nozzle spoutspositioned above the depositing position; 7

a drum mounted coaxially in said housing and having a series of Y-shapedborings revolving about an axis, said borings successively communicatingfirst with said upper connectors and then with said lower nozzles;

means to assist the filling and depositing of said material in acontrolled manner; and

means to synchronize said drum so that the material is deposited intoindividual cups in a pan frame in a controlled and variable manner.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 including clutching and indexingmeans to compensate for variations in spacing between pan frames as theymove past the depositing position.

5. A crumb cake depositing apparatus comprising:

a storage hopper and applicator for handling and directing the flow of asource of streusel type material;

a discharge manifold coupled to direct the flow of said material into amultiple number of individual streams;

a housing coupled to said manifold and having a series of lower nozzlespositioned above the depositing position;

lumps which are forced into a lower applicator hopper; an applicatorreel in the lower hopper to wedge said material through a perforatedscreen attached to said hopper such that said material falls into saiddischarge manifold directly below; and means to activate and deactivatesaid system as each individual cup frame passes the depositing position.6. The apparatus according to claim 5 including means for varying thespeed of the applicator reel so that the amount of material deposited inindividual cups is controlled.

7. The apparatus according to claim 5 including means to synchronizesaid drum so that the material is simultaneously deposited into all cupsin a row in a pan frame in a controlled manner.

8. The apparatus according to claim 5 including clutching and indexingmeans forcoritrolling each series of three rowsof cups in one frame tocompensate for variations in spacing between frames as they move pastthe depositing position. i

9. The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said means to assist thefilling and depositing of said material include first means forcouplingair into each of said Y-shaped bores during the depositing of saidmaterial, and second means coupled to direct air to each of saidY-shaped bores during filling with said material.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9 including first and second valvescoupled to control, in response to first and second cams, theintroduction of air into said borings by said first and second means.

1. Apparatus for handling and depositing streusel type materialcomprising: a storage hopper and applicator for handling and directingthe flow of the material; a discharge manifold having dividers to directthe flow of the material into a multiple number of individual streams; ahousing with upper connectors to said manifold and lower nozzle spoutspositioned above the depositing position; a drum mounted coaxially insaid housing and having a series of Y-shaped borings revolving about anaxis, said borings successively communicating first with said upperconnectors and then with said lower nozzles; means to assist the fillingand depositing of said material in a controlled manner; said material isplaced in an upper storage hopper having agitator fingers to break upsaid material into varying size lumps which are forced into a lowerapplicator hopper; and means to activate and deactivate said system asan individual pan frame passes the depositing position.
 2. The apparatusaccording to claim 1 including means for varying the speed of theapplicator reel so that the amount of material deposited in individualcups of a pan frame is controlled.
 3. Apparatus for handling anddepositing streusel type material comprising: a storage hopper andapplicator for handling and directing the flow of the material; adischarge manifold having dividers to direct the flow of the materialinto a multiple number of individual streams; a housing with upperconnectors to said manifold and lower nozzle spouts positioned above thedepositing position; a drum mounted coaxially in said housing and havinga series of Y-shaped borings revolving about an axis, said boringssuccessively communicating first with said upper connectors and thenwith said lower nozzles; means to assist thE filling and depositing ofsaid material in a controlled manner; and means to synchronize said drumso that the material is deposited into individual cups in a pan frame ina controlled and variable manner.
 4. The apparatus according to claim 3including clutching and indexing means to compensate for variations inspacing between pan frames as they move past the depositing position. 5.A crumb cake depositing apparatus comprising: a storage hopper andapplicator for handling and directing the flow of a source of streuseltype material; a discharge manifold coupled to direct the flow of saidmaterial into a multiple number of individual streams; a housing coupledto said manifold and having a series of lower nozzles positioned abovethe depositing position; a drum mounted coaxially in said housing andhaving a series of Y-shaped borings revolving about its axis, saidborings successively communicating first with said manifold to be filledand then with said lower nozzles to deposit simultaneously said materialonto serial arranged cake cups in a pan; means to assist the filling anddepositing of said material in a controlled manner; said storage hopperand applicator includes agitator fingers to break up said material intovarying size lumps which are forced into a lower applicator hopper; anapplicator reel in the lower hopper to wedge said material through aperforated screen attached to said hopper such that said material fallsinto said discharge manifold directly below; and means to activate anddeactivate said system as each individual cup frame passes thedepositing position.
 6. The apparatus according to claim 5 includingmeans for varying the speed of the applicator reel so that the amount ofmaterial deposited in individual cups is controlled.
 7. The apparatusaccording to claim 5 including means to synchronize said drum so thatthe material is simultaneously deposited into all cups in a row in a panframe in a controlled manner.
 8. The apparatus according to claim 5including clutching and indexing means for controlling each series ofthree rows of cups in one frame to compensate for variations in spacingbetween frames as they move past the depositing position.
 9. Theapparatus according to claim 5 wherein said means to assist the fillingand depositing of said material include first means for coupling airinto each of said Y-shaped bores during the depositing of said material,and second means coupled to direct air to each of said Y-shaped boresduring filling with said material.
 10. The apparatus according to claim9 including first and second valves coupled to control, in response tofirst and second cams, the introduction of air into said borings by saidfirst and second means.